Re: A pledge to rip up the BBC charter and reverse Government plans

Tories to rip up BBC Charter?
Chris Forrester
19-10-2009

A new Tory government in the UK is likely to make some fundamental changes to the BBC, say reports in the UK press today. There is even talk of “ripping up” the BBC’s Charter, its formal licence to operate.

Jeremy Hunt, the opposition culture secretary, says a new Conservative government, expected by many commentators to be in place by the spring of 2010, will force the BBC to share £130m with other broadcasters. Hunt added that he was also considering “ripping up” the BBC’s official Charter. "We are looking into whether it would be appropriate to rip up the charter in the middle of it, or whether one should wait."

The BBC Charter was renewed only on Sept 19 2006, and was planned to run for 10 years. That new Charter saw the establishment of the BBC Trust, replacing the BBC’s governing body.

This apparent indecision on the Charter is probably wise, given that in the build up to a general election (which must be held by early June 2010) Hunt would probably want to retain some on-screen support. However, he was damning in his opinion of the BBC Trust, the BBC’s supervisory body. He said he would not scrap the BBC Trust but there would be changes and that policy-making would be returned to government.